A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I know it sucks that Seth is dead, but thanks for sticking with me.
Also, this is officially set between The Telenovela and The Goodbye Girl, seeing as Anna no longer exists. Grr...
Ch. 3
Ryan parked at the house and walked down the steep path to the beach where Seth's boat was docked.
Anna was already aboard "Summer's Breeze," her shoes off and nice pants rolled up to her knees, involved in the complicated process of preparing the boat for sailing.
"Anna?" Ryan called up.
"Hey Ryan, come on up!" Anna commanded, "We're almost ready to go."
Ryan lept aboard.
"You might want to ditch your shoes," Anna advised. Ryan tossed them off the boat compliantly and watched them land on the sand with a thud.
"Anna?" Ryan asked. "Are you sure you're comfortable sailing 'Summer's Breeze'?"
"Sure. I've sailed plenty, and I know the 'Breeze' pretty well," Anna sighed as she double-checked the jig hanks which held the sail to the main sheet. "Seth trusted me with her."
"The name, does it bother you?" Ryan wondered finding a relatively out-of-the-way spot to sit.
"What the 'Summer's Breeze'? Not really. It's actually quite pretty if you don't get the allusion," Anna observed.
"But you get the allusion," Ryan pointed out as Anna untied the boat from the dock and pushed it away from the dock.
"True," Anna agreed as she hopped back into the boat and began to let out the main sheet. "But it was Seth, you know? Part of his mystique. Ryan, will you grab the tiller and hold it straight please?" Anna interrupted herself. Ryan seized the tiller and refused to yield to the boat's desires.
"Got it. You were saying?" Anna tied off the line and sat across from Ryan.
"Just that even the most annoying things about Seth were kind of part of his charm," Anna explained.
"Says the embittered ex-girlfriend?" Ryan wondered, trailing his hand in the cool water of the Pacific. Anna was silent for a while, getting up occasionally to adjust the main sail. Standing next to the main mast and gazing out to sea Anna observed,
"Seth would like this."
"It's better than finger food and striped awnings," Ryan agreed. Anna turned sharply.
"That sounded just like something Seth would say."
"Did it?" Ryan seemed pleased. "I miss him."
"I feel guilty missing him," Anna admitted sitting next to the tiller across from Ryan.
"Me too."
"Really, why? You're his brother, and his best friend," Anna protested.
"Friend maybe. I like to think of myself as Seth's brother, but let's be honest I'm just some foster kid the Cohen's took in eight months ago," Ryan pointed out.
"You are his brother," Anna assured Ryan, nudging the tiller starboard. "Seth thought so, said so even."
"Maybe," Ryan acknowledged. "So, why do you feel guilty missing your best friend?"
"Were we best friends?" Anna wondered. "Were we really close at the end? I was a friend, and an ex-girlfriend. That's it."
"That isn't it," Ryan protested "That's a lot, and, for the record, Seth considered you one of his closest friends. He was all mixed up, but he cared for you." Anna offered a half-smile.
"It's nice to hear anyway. Besides even if all that is true, I still miss him in a totally inappropriate way. Only Summer has a right to feel like this," Anna stared into the murky depths of the ocean.
"You still love him," Ryan hadn't meant for it to be a question but Anna answered anyway.
"I cared for Seth, but I don't think I fell for him again until I heard he was dead," Anna paused. "Is that really twisted?"
"Want my opinion?" Ryan asked, Anna nodded, "You're grieving. Upset. How you grieve, what you grieve for, I think that's different for everybody. There are things I miss about Seth, that, I don't think I'd want to admit to anyone. They're just so private, and some are so embarrassing, that I'll keep them inside. I think that's what people get wrong about the grieving process. Sandy and Kirsten keep wanting to talk. It isn't just about sharing, it's about treasuring private memories and keeping them private."
"Thanks Ryan," Anna said seriously before starting to giggle.
"What?"
"Nothing," Anna paused. "I just think that that is the most I've ever heard you say at one time!"
"It's getting late," Ryan observed. "Shall we head back?" Anna turned the tiller to the port side allowing the boat to make a gradual U-turn.
"Aye, aye Captain!"
The ride home was a quiet one, both passengers thinking of a boy they loved who had died too soon. As they approached the cove where the boat was docked Anna sighed.
"This was nice," she said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"It was. I think maybe, do you want to make the Seth Cohen Memorial Cruise a yearly tradition?" Ryan suggested. Anna smiled gently in the near-dark.
"I think that's a very good idea," Anna agreed bringing the boat in to dock. Ryan hopped onto the dock to tie up "Summer's Breeze".
"Thanks Ryan, I can finish up here. Now go inside and talk to Kirsten and Sandy," at Ryan's look of protest Anna added, "really talk with them. They lost their son."
"Agreed," Ryan retrieved his shoes off the beach. "Hey Anna?"
"Yeah?" Anna called back, busy taking down the rigging and stowing it.
"Um, call me later," Ryan requested uncomfortably.
"Sure."
Also, this is officially set between The Telenovela and The Goodbye Girl, seeing as Anna no longer exists. Grr...
Ch. 3
Ryan parked at the house and walked down the steep path to the beach where Seth's boat was docked.
Anna was already aboard "Summer's Breeze," her shoes off and nice pants rolled up to her knees, involved in the complicated process of preparing the boat for sailing.
"Anna?" Ryan called up.
"Hey Ryan, come on up!" Anna commanded, "We're almost ready to go."
Ryan lept aboard.
"You might want to ditch your shoes," Anna advised. Ryan tossed them off the boat compliantly and watched them land on the sand with a thud.
"Anna?" Ryan asked. "Are you sure you're comfortable sailing 'Summer's Breeze'?"
"Sure. I've sailed plenty, and I know the 'Breeze' pretty well," Anna sighed as she double-checked the jig hanks which held the sail to the main sheet. "Seth trusted me with her."
"The name, does it bother you?" Ryan wondered finding a relatively out-of-the-way spot to sit.
"What the 'Summer's Breeze'? Not really. It's actually quite pretty if you don't get the allusion," Anna observed.
"But you get the allusion," Ryan pointed out as Anna untied the boat from the dock and pushed it away from the dock.
"True," Anna agreed as she hopped back into the boat and began to let out the main sheet. "But it was Seth, you know? Part of his mystique. Ryan, will you grab the tiller and hold it straight please?" Anna interrupted herself. Ryan seized the tiller and refused to yield to the boat's desires.
"Got it. You were saying?" Anna tied off the line and sat across from Ryan.
"Just that even the most annoying things about Seth were kind of part of his charm," Anna explained.
"Says the embittered ex-girlfriend?" Ryan wondered, trailing his hand in the cool water of the Pacific. Anna was silent for a while, getting up occasionally to adjust the main sail. Standing next to the main mast and gazing out to sea Anna observed,
"Seth would like this."
"It's better than finger food and striped awnings," Ryan agreed. Anna turned sharply.
"That sounded just like something Seth would say."
"Did it?" Ryan seemed pleased. "I miss him."
"I feel guilty missing him," Anna admitted sitting next to the tiller across from Ryan.
"Me too."
"Really, why? You're his brother, and his best friend," Anna protested.
"Friend maybe. I like to think of myself as Seth's brother, but let's be honest I'm just some foster kid the Cohen's took in eight months ago," Ryan pointed out.
"You are his brother," Anna assured Ryan, nudging the tiller starboard. "Seth thought so, said so even."
"Maybe," Ryan acknowledged. "So, why do you feel guilty missing your best friend?"
"Were we best friends?" Anna wondered. "Were we really close at the end? I was a friend, and an ex-girlfriend. That's it."
"That isn't it," Ryan protested "That's a lot, and, for the record, Seth considered you one of his closest friends. He was all mixed up, but he cared for you." Anna offered a half-smile.
"It's nice to hear anyway. Besides even if all that is true, I still miss him in a totally inappropriate way. Only Summer has a right to feel like this," Anna stared into the murky depths of the ocean.
"You still love him," Ryan hadn't meant for it to be a question but Anna answered anyway.
"I cared for Seth, but I don't think I fell for him again until I heard he was dead," Anna paused. "Is that really twisted?"
"Want my opinion?" Ryan asked, Anna nodded, "You're grieving. Upset. How you grieve, what you grieve for, I think that's different for everybody. There are things I miss about Seth, that, I don't think I'd want to admit to anyone. They're just so private, and some are so embarrassing, that I'll keep them inside. I think that's what people get wrong about the grieving process. Sandy and Kirsten keep wanting to talk. It isn't just about sharing, it's about treasuring private memories and keeping them private."
"Thanks Ryan," Anna said seriously before starting to giggle.
"What?"
"Nothing," Anna paused. "I just think that that is the most I've ever heard you say at one time!"
"It's getting late," Ryan observed. "Shall we head back?" Anna turned the tiller to the port side allowing the boat to make a gradual U-turn.
"Aye, aye Captain!"
The ride home was a quiet one, both passengers thinking of a boy they loved who had died too soon. As they approached the cove where the boat was docked Anna sighed.
"This was nice," she said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"It was. I think maybe, do you want to make the Seth Cohen Memorial Cruise a yearly tradition?" Ryan suggested. Anna smiled gently in the near-dark.
"I think that's a very good idea," Anna agreed bringing the boat in to dock. Ryan hopped onto the dock to tie up "Summer's Breeze".
"Thanks Ryan, I can finish up here. Now go inside and talk to Kirsten and Sandy," at Ryan's look of protest Anna added, "really talk with them. They lost their son."
"Agreed," Ryan retrieved his shoes off the beach. "Hey Anna?"
"Yeah?" Anna called back, busy taking down the rigging and stowing it.
"Um, call me later," Ryan requested uncomfortably.
"Sure."